Automatic dumping-car.



Patented 0013.25, 1910.

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B. L. WORTHEN. AUTOMATIC DUMPING GAR. APPLICATION FILED OIOT. 22, 1907.

Patented oct.25,1910.

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AUTOMATIC DUMPING GAB. APPLIOATIONHLED oonzzjlso'l.

Patented ont. 25 1910.

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AroHNEr-s UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

BURT LINCOLN WORTHEN, OF TUCSON, ARIZONA TERRITORY.

AUTOMATIC DUMPING-CAR.

' To all 'whom 'it may concern:

Be it known that I, BURT L. Voltri-IEN, a citizen of the United States,and a residentof Tucson, in the county of Pima and Territory of Arizona,have invented a new and Improved Automatic Dumping-Car, of which thefollowing is a full, clear, and exact description.

My invention relates to automatic dumping cars, my more particularpurpose being to provide mechanism for keeping` the door of the carlocked while the car body occupies a normal position, and unlocking thecar door whenever the car is ytilted into its abnormal position.

Myinvention further relates to mechanism controllable by the return ofthe car body into its normal position for closing and locking the cardoor.

My invention may be used upon vehicles of any kind, but is of peculiarservice in relation to the dumping cars used in mining.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings forming a part ofthis specification, -in which similar characters of reference indicatecorresponding parts in all the figures.

Figure 1 is a side elevation of the complete device showing the car bodyprovided with a swinging door, a hook for holding the door normallyclosed, and mechanism controllable by the tilting of the car body forcausing the hook to engage or to release the car door according to themovements of the car body; Fig. 2 is a side elevation (the pivot pinappearing in section) showing the car bodyas tilted for the purpose ofdumping a load, the car door being temporarily released by its hook, andfurther showing the means controllable by the tilting movements of thecar for actuating this hook; Fig. 3 is a rear elevation showing the carbody occupying` its normal position and fastened downward by the hookedend of the hand lever, this View also showing the normal position of thearcuate arm used for turning the hook; Fig. 4 is a view somewhat similarto Fig. 3, but showing the car body as released and tilted, and thearcuate arm as raised.

The car wheels are shown at 5 and the i vehicle frame at 6. This frameis provided at its rear with ends 7 approaching each other, as indicatedin Figs.'3 and 4. A

- rear axle is shown at 8 and is provided with a strap 9 having anaperture 11 receiving Specification of Letters Patent.

Application led October 22, 1907.

Patented Oct. 25, 1910.

Serial No. 398,565.

r18 supporting a frame 19 whereby this frame is rendered revoluble inrelation to the frame 6. The frame 19 is provided with hooks 2Oconsisting simply of upturned portions integral with its main bodyportion. The' frame 19 is further provided with bearings 21 andextending through these bearings is a pivot pin 22. The car body isshown at 23 and is provided with bearings 24 engaging the pivot pin 22.The car body may be rocked, as indicated in Fig. 2. A plate 25 ismounted centrally under one end of the car body and is adapted to engagethe plate 13. Disposed in the middle of the plate 25 and projectingrearwardly therefrom is a pivot pin 26 mounted upon which is a handlever 27. A guide bar 2 8 is mounted upon the rear end of the car bodyand is bent outwardly therefrom so as to give room for the handlever 27to pass through it and to have a limited amount of play (see Figs. 3 andAnother guide bar 29 vis disposed vertically and mounted upon the rearend of the car body. A link 30 encircles the guide bar 29 and is adaptedto serve as a fastening for the hand lever 27 in order to hold it in theposition indicated in Fig. 3. By raising the link 30, the lever 27 may'be liberated. The lower end of the hand lever 27 terminates in a hook 31which is adapted to engage the pin 14 and hold the car body in itsnormal position.

A rocking shaft 32'is provided at its front end with an eye 33 andlinking with this eye is another eye 34 integral with a rod 35. The rodlast mentioned terminates in a hook 36 which is adapted to engage anddisengage a door 37 which is mounted upon the front end of the car bodyand is adapted to swing outwardly, as indicated in Fig. 2. The rod 35passes through a sleeve 35l disposed centrally of the car body, thissleeve thus serving as a bearing.

An arcuate arm 38 is mounted rigidly upon the rocking shaft 32. Awearing plate 39 is mounted upon the under side 'of the car body 23 andadapted to engage the] upper surface of the arcuate arm 38. A lug 40serves as a limiting stop for preventing excessive movement of thisarcuate arm in one direction (see Fig. 4). A stirrup 41 is provided withfeet 42 which are secured rigidly upon the under surface of the carbody. This stirrup is provided with an inclined portion 41a. Acompression spiral spring 43 encircles the rocking shaft 32. A nut 44 ismounted upon the rocking shaft 32 which is provided with a threaded end45 for this purpose.

An annular bead 32a encircles the rocking shaft 32 and is rigidtherewith, this bead lodging against an angel plate 32D. The purpose ofthe spiral spring 43 is to press the rocking shaft 32 to the left,according to F ig. 2, so that the bead 32"L bears against the angleplate 32h. Owing to the pressure of the bead 32ZL against the angleplate and to the friction of other parts immediately associated with therocking shaft 32, this rocking shaft tends to remain in any position inwhich it may be placed.

The operation of my device is as follows: The parts being in normalposition, as indicated in Fig. 3, the car body is filled and the vehicleis drawn to the place where the car is to be emptied. During all thistime the link 30 prevents the hand lever 27 from being moved. Theoperator next moves the linl; 30 upward, thereby releasing the handlever 27 and he turns this hand lever to the left, as indicated in Fig.4. This releases the hook 31 from the pin 14, and the operator nextraises the rear end of t-he car body. This car body is so nearly evenlybalanced upon the pivot pin 22 that no extraordinary effort is requiredin order to tilt it. As the step of tilting proceeds, the inclinedportion 411 of the stirrup 41 engages the arcuate arm 38 and turns itupward. This causes the rocking shaft 32 to turn.

It will be noted that the car tilts a little before the portion 41a ofthe stirrup is brought into engagement with the arm 38. This is for thepurpose of allowing the center of gravity of the ear body to be shifteda little so that the operator, in beginning the step of tilting, doesnot find it necessary to lift any greatamount of weight. As the arm 38is turned, and consequently the rocking shaft 32 rotates a portion of arevolution, motion is transmitted through the eyes 33, 34 and rod 35 tothe hook 36. This releases the door 37 and allows the contents of thecar to be ejected. The car remains in this position until the operator,by hand, depresses the rear end of the car body. When this occurs (seeFig. 2) the plate 39 descends upon the top of the arm 38 and this arm isturned down into the position indicated in Fig. 3.

When the car body first begins to move from its position indicated inFig. 2, the plate 39 does not immediately rest upon the arm 38, andconsequently the hooi; 36 at first does not move. lVhen, however, thecar body reaches such position that the door 37 is completely closed byits own weight, the plate 39, by engaging the arm 38 and turning therocking shaft 32, causes the hook 36 to turn, and this locks the door37. The car body being restored to its normal position, the hand lever27 is moved over to the right, according to Fig. 3, and secured inposition by aid of the link 30. The car is now ready for another chargeto beA filled into it.

As will readily be seen from the above description, the rod 35 and itshook 36 are so arranged that when the car is in its normal or loadingposition, the hook 36 rmly engages the door 37 so as to prevent outwardswinging movement of the latter. lVhen, however, the body of the vehicleis tilted for the purpose of dumping the load, the various points atwhich the door and hook were in contact now diverge upon the arcs ofintersecting circles described respectively by the revolution of saidpoints upon their fixed centers.

1t will be noted that the eyes 33, 34 together' constitute a type ofuniversal joint. I regard this part as very essential for the reasonthat it is desirable to have greatfreedom of movement at the point wherethe rocking shaft 32 connects wit-h the rod 35. This is because the carbody must tilt and yet in tilting should not unduly disturb the variouspart-s supported by the frame 19 and employed for the ultimate purposeof turning the hook 36 automatically.

If the arcuate arm 38 should become somewhat loose upon the shaft 32,the inclined portion 41a of the stirrup will, on coming into contactwith the under side of the arm 38, impart to the arm an upward swingingmovement, thereby bringing it into a nearly upright position which ithas more or less tendency to retain. Vhen, however, the vehicle body isdepressed so as to restore it to its normal position, the arm is forcedover the portion 41a of the stirrup 41, and the weight of the vehiclethereupon brings the arm back into its normal position. 1t follows,therefore, that the arm 38 has a positive movement controllable by themovement of the vehicle independent of whether the arm be tight or looseupon the shaft which it controls for the purpose of liberating the hookfrom the vehicle door.

As may be seen from Fig. 1, the eyes 33, 34 are so located relatively tothe pivot pin 22, that the tilting movement of the car body causestherod 35 to protrude and thus )push the hook 36 a little away from thedoor 37. This facilitates the opening of the door. Any packing of t-heload against the door, causing the latter to jam against the hook, isunable to hold the hook and prevent it from turning whenever the car istilted, for the reason that, as the car body tilts, the hook recedesoutwardly from the door and is thus free to turn in the manner abovedescribed.

Having thus described my invention, 1 claim as new and desire to secureby Letters Patent:

l. The combination of a vehicle body, a f 'ame supported thereover, arocking shaft mounted within said frame and provided with an eye, a rodprovided with an eye engaging 4said eye of said rocking shaft, said rodbeing free to swing in a. plane and upon said first-mentioned eye as acenter, said rod being provided with a hook, a door to be engaged bysaid hook, a car body to be closed by said door, said car body beingmounted to tilt, and means controllable by the tilting of said car bodyfor turning said rocking shaft.

2. A device of the character described, comprising` a frame, a rockingshaft mounted thereupon, an arcuate arm connected with said rockingshaft, a car body for turning said arcuate arm in one direction, astirrup mounted upon said car body and adapted to turn said arm in theopposite direction, said stirrup being larger than said arm for thepurpose of allowing a limited play of said stirrup relatively to saidarm before turning the latter, a door to be locked and unlocked, and amember connected with said rocking shaft and controllable by tilting ofsaid car body for engaging and disengaging said door.

3. In a device of the character described, the combination of a frame, avehicle body journaled thereupon and adapted to tilt for the purpose o-fejecting a load, a door mounted upon said vehicle body and adapted toopen and close, means including a rocking shaft and controllable bytilting movements of said vehicle body for releasing said door, so as toallow it to open, an arm normally rigid in relation to said rockingshaft for actuating the'same, and a stirrup mounted upon said vehiclebody and provided with a portion for turning said arm should the latteraccidentally become loose relatively to said rocking shaft.

l. A device of the character described, comprising a frame supportedupon Wheels, a car body mounted upon said frame and adapted to tiltrelatively thereto, a door for said car body, a rod provided with a hookfor engaging said door so as to normally keep the latter closed, saidrod being journaled relatively to said car body, a rod journaled uponsaid frame, said last-men tioned rod being connected with said rod firstmentioned by a joint, and means controllable by the tilting of said carbody for turning the rod ournaled upon said frame.

5. The combination of a frame provided with wheels whereby it issupported, a. vehicle body journaled upon said frame and adapted totilt, a door for said vehicle body, a rod provided with a hook forengaging said door, said rod being revoluble for the purpose ofreleasing said hook from said door, and a joint connect-ingsaid rod withsaid frame, said joint being located at a point concentric to the pointwhere said vehicle body is journaled for the purpose of disengaging saidhook from said door when said vehicle body is tilted.

6. The combination of a vehicle body, a door therefor, a frame providedwith wheels whereby it is supported, said vehicle body being j ournaledupon said frame and adapted to tilt relatively thereto, a rod connectedwith said vehicle body and pro-vided with a hook for holding andreleasing said door, a second rod j ournaled relatively to saidfirstmentioned rod and also relatively to said frame, a hook mountedupon said secondmentioned rod, and a stirrup for turning said hookpositively in case it should become loose.

7. The combination of a. vehicle body, a door therefor, a. rod slidablyconnected with said vehicle body and provided with a hook for holdingand releasing said door, said rod and hoolr being so connected withframe of vehicle, that when car is in the act of dumping, the points atwhich said door and hook normally come into contact, when car is inloading position, diverge upon the arcs of intersecting circlesdescribed by the revolution of said points upon their respective iXedcenters, and mechanism controllable by the movements of said vehiclebody fo-r turning said rod in order to further disengage said hook fromsaid door.

8. The combination of a car body adapted to be tilted, a door for saidcar body, a rocking shaft disposed adjacent to said car body andoccupying a general position independent-ly of movements of said carbody,

a member connected with said rocking shaft and normally engaging saiddoor so as tokeep the latter closed, an arm connected with said' rockingshaft for turning the latter Aupon its own axis, and a stirrup mountedupon said car body and movable therewith relatively to the generalposition occupied by said roclring shaft, said stirrup having a bearingface disposed at an angle to said arm at the point where said arm comesrinto engagement with said stirrup 1n order to confer upward movementupon said arm` 9. The combination of a frame provided with wheelswhereby it is supported, a vehicle body journaled upon said frame andadapted to tilt, a door for said vehicle body, mechanism for operatingsaid door, said mechanism including` a rocking shaft mounted upon saidframe, and an arm connected with said rocking shaft for the purpose ofactuating` the same, said arm being` ot' Substantially arcuate form, anda Stiriup mounted upon said Vehicle body and adapted to encircle seidarm, Said stiiiup being movable towai'd and from said rocking shaft anddisposed in a position favorable 10 to permit said arm to pass throughsaid Stirrup when said Vehicle body engages said arm.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in thepresence of two subscribing Witnesses.

BURT LINCOLN ORTHEN.

Vitnesses CI-IAS. F. SLACK, D. C. GRIFFIN.

